Jason Statham Finally Gets Funny in “Spy”

Universal(NEW YORK) — The last time we saw Jason Statham onscreen, he was playing the bad guy inFurious 7. But in his latest film, Spy, where he stars opposite Melissa McCarthy, the British actor gets funny.

Statham — who’s best-known as an action star in movies like The Transporter and The Expendables — admits in the June issue of Esquire that previously, he hesitated to take on comedy roles.

“I’ve always been apprehensive about trying to do a f***ing comedy, because they’re either brilliant or they’re f***ing terrible,” he explains. “At least in making an action film, there’s always going to be someone who wants to see a car chase. Even if a lot of the people don’t like it, there will be a lot of people that do. But bad comedy is just garbage.”

But Statham says Spy “works, and I give a lot of the credit — or all of the  f***ing credit — to [writer] Paul [Feig] and the writing.”

If you’re surprised to see Statham back on the big screen so soon after starring in Furious 7, which is still playing, the actor says he’s just getting the work while he can.

“It’s that peasant mentality,” he said. “Make hay while the sun shines. When you’re kicking around and you ain’t got no money, that don’t feel too good. So when there’s finally money coming in, it’s hard to say, ‘I’m too good for that.’ It’s finding a balance, really, and it’s a difficult thing to manage. But have I taken on too many jobs? Probably.” 

Has that philosophy ever prompted Statham to do a movie he now regrets?  “Yeah, I think I’ve said that more often than not. Yeah.”

Spy, also starring Rose Byrne, Jude Law and Allison Janney, hits theaters June 5.

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